Speeches

Good morning!

Uzma and I welcome you to the new school year. It is a privilege to be with you to report on the state of the University. Thank you for joining us in person or tuning in virtually. 

I joined Western in fall 2016, drawn by its quality educational brand and programs and with aspirations to drive student success to new levels and to help make Western an even greater contributor to the economic and social development of the…

Good morning, and welcome to the new school year.  I am grateful that we are back on campus after working remotely for the past year-and-a-half. Thank you being here today, both those of you here in person and those who are tuning in virtually. 

I’d like to start by acknowledging that we gather today on the ancestral homelands of the Coast Salish Peoples, who have lived in the Salish Sea basin, all throughout the San Juan Islands and the North Cascades watershed from time immemorial.…

(Watch a video of the 2020 Faculty and Staff Convocation. President Randhawa's remarks begin at 4:25.)

September 17, 2020

Good morning!  Thank you for joining me for this highly unusual Faculty and Staff Convocation, certainly the most unusual in my 30 years in higher education. I am deeply disappointed that we cannot be together today, enjoying the company of colleagues and friends the way we usually do. Today, we are grateful that technology…

(Watch a video of the 2018 Opening Convocation Ceremony.  President Randhawa's remarks begin at 24:30.)

Good morning and welcome to the start of Western’s 125th academic year.

I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the ancestral homelands of Indigenous Peoples who have lived in the Salish Sea basin and the North Cascades watershed from time immemorial, in particular the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe. Please join me in expressing our deepest…

Remarks delivered by President Randhawa in Poulsbo, WA on November 13, 2019:

Good evening!  Thank you for joining us tonight.  We’re very pleased to be here to share an update on exciting things happening at Western Washington University. 

Just over a month ago, I was here at the Sea Discovery Center, where we celebrated two-and-a-half decades of providing environmental science and policy programs on the Peninsulas.  This academic year also marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of…

President Randhawa's Remarks Delivered at the Multicultural Center Grand Opening

October 10, 2019 

This is a momentous occasion in Western’s history, and I am honored to be included among the speakers today. 

I want to begin by acknowledging the personal histories and experiences of struggle, frustration, and sadness expressed by our speakers today, experiences that many diverse students at Western have shared.  I want to thank them for sharing their experiences, and for what they have contributed toward achieving this day, whether it is through their…

(Watch a video of the 2019 Faculty & Staff Convocation.  President Randhawa's remarks begin at 22:10.)  

Since coming to Western three years ago I have talked about the potential of this wonderful institution, the strong foundations of excellence we have to build upon, and the remarkable opportunities we have to accelerate positive change for our students, the people of Washington, and the world.

Today,…

(Video of the 2018 Opening Convocation Ceremony.  President Randhawa's remarks begin at 24:30.)

Good morning and welcome to the start of Western’s 125th academic year.

I would like to begin by acknowledging that we are gathered on the ancestral homelands of Indigenous Peoples who have lived in the Salish Sea basin and the North Cascades watershed from time immemorial, in particular the Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe. Please join me in…

September 20, 2017

Thank you, Allison, for your kind introduction. It has been an honor to work with you, last year’s Senate President Kristen Larson, and the Faculty Senate leadership during my first year as Western president. The Faculty Senate, and the more than 900 faculty it represents, are at the center of our shared aspirations for Western Washington University. I want to thank you—our faculty, for your work to educate our students and help them realize their greatest potential.

I am pleased to be joined by leaders with whom I serve the university:…

I want to thank the conference committee of the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force for inviting me to speak with you today. It’s a privilege. The work that the Task Force does, and that all of you do as educators, advocates, and agents of change has never been more important.

This is an especially significant day of remembrance for the life and legacy of Dr. King, the first after the 2016 election. Dr. Martin Luther King’s message of equality, justice, humanity and social change is especially meaningful this year as we recommit to the process of healing and bringing together our…